Protective case for mobile device having cover with opaque and transparent regions

ABSTRACT

A protective case for a mobile device is disclosed. The protective case includes a front cover and a back cover that is comprised of a shell, which together are configured to receive, retain, cover and protect the mobile device. The shell is configured to receive and retain the mobile device while providing user access to the mobile device. The shell has an outer surface configured to attach to a hinge member which in turn attaches to the front cover. The front cover includes an opaque main region that is configured to overlie the main touchscreen interface region and a generally curved and transparent side region that is configured to overlie a separate touchscreen interface region. When closed the cover is configured to allow for user interaction with the underlying covered screen. The user interaction may be via capacitive and/or mechanical pressure interaction with the touchscreen.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/811,612, titled “PROTECTIVE CASE FOR MOBILE DEVICE HAVING COVER WITHOPAQUE AND TRANSPARENT REGIONS” filed Nov. 13, 2017, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/295,834, titled “PROTECTIVECASE FOR MOBILE DEVICE HAVING COVER WITH OPAQUE AND TRANSPARENT REGIONS”filed Oct. 17, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/065,816, titled “PROTECTIVE CASE FOR MOBILE DEVICE HAVING COVERWITH OPAQUE AND TRANSPARENT REGIONS” filed Mar. 9, 2016 and issued asU.S. Pat. No. 9,473,192 on Oct. 18, 2016, which claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/131,185, filed on Mar.10, 2015, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety and are to be considered as a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

This patent document relates to protective cases for mobile or handheldelectronic devices such as tablet computers, smart phones, gamingdevices and the like.

Description of the Related Art

Mobile devices (e.g. cellular and smart phones, tablet and laptopcomputers, MP3 players and various gaming devices, etc.) and protectivecases for such mobile devices are known in the art. There is acontinuing need, however, to improve the construction and usability ofprotective cases to complement new device features and technologies andthereby enhance user experience.

With the advent of multi-surface or display screens, such as the SamsungGalaxy Note Edge™ smart phone, and the continuing need for user privacyand battery conservation, the inventors here recognized that there is aneed for protective cases capable of covering and protecting the displayof the mobile device yet also allowing visibility into another screen onthe mobile device or one or more discrete regions of the display whilethe screen or discrete region of the display remains covered.

SUMMARY

There exists a continuing need for new and improved designs for casesfor mobile devices that can provide high levels of protection andusability.

Various aspects of a uniquely design protective case for a mobile deviceare disclosed. The protective case includes a front cover and a bottomcover, which together are configured to receive, retain, cover andprotect the mobile device. The bottom cover includes a shell orcompartment that is configured to reversibly receive and retain themobile device, for which it is designed, while also providing useraccess to the screen and control buttons of the mobile device. The frontcover is configured to overlie and protect the display or screen regionsof the device.

In one aspect, the side wall of the shell on a first side is lower inheight than the side wall of the shell on an opposing second sidethereof. The bottom cover is hingedly attached to the front cover so asto allow user access to the screen and a support platform to the devicewhen in the open position. The front cover includes a first opaqueregion and a second transparent region.

In one aspect, the first opaque region may be generally flat and extendalong a first plane. In another aspect, the second transparent regionmay be curved and extend along a second plane that is different ortransverse from the first plane.

The manner by which the relatively opaque and transparent regions areformed and the nature of the transition between those regions compriseyet other aspects.

While various aspects are described above and in connection with theembodiments of the protective cases disclosed herein, including thedrawings and claims, it should be understood that any of those aspectsmay be combined to form claims for a device, apparatus, system, methodsof manufacture and/or use in any way without limitation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a protective case in the fully closedposition in accordance with the teachings herein. The protective caseillustrated is configured for the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge™ smart phone,which is depicted as being housed therein.

FIG. 1B is another perspective view showing the front, right, and topregions of the protective case of FIG. 1 in the fully closed position.

FIGS. 2A-2F are front, rear, left, right, top and bottom views,respectively, of the protective case illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B in thefully closed position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the protective case of FIG. 1A, whereinthe front cover of the protective case is partially open to furtherillustrate the configuration and constriction of the constituentcomponents and their operation.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the protective case of FIG. 1A, whereinthe protective case is in an operating/viewing position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Features, aspects and advantages are described below with reference tothe drawings, which are intended to illustrate but not to limit theinvention. In the drawings, like reference characters denotecorresponding features consistently throughout. FIGS. 1-4 illustratevarious aspects of a single embodiment of the protective case for amobile device 900 in the form of an Samsung Galaxy Note Edge Phone™. Thephone 900 has a display that includes a curved interactive screen 920that extends across the right side of the phone 900, which can be usedas a sidebar 930 to display application shortcuts, notifications, and/orother information. It should be understood, however, that the variousaspects and teachings herein are not limited to any particular mobiledevice, but rather have wide applicability.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the protective case 100 includes a frontcover component 200 hingedly attached via a panel 400 that is connectedto a back cover or shell component 300. Together, the front and backcovers are configured to receive, retain, cover and protect the mobiledevice 900, while providing access to the user interfaces of the mobiledevice and support to position the device on edge, as illustrated inFIG. 4.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3-4, the phone 900 includes a display 910that includes a primary flat screen that extends along a horizontalplane and a side region or screen 920 that is curved or begins to curveat or near its intersection with the primary screen and extends along atransverse plane to form the right side of the phone 900. The sideregion 920 may function to display notifications and/or specific toolbars 930 that the user can interface with discretely from other regionsof the display (e.g., the primary flat screen region 910).

The shell component 300 is configured to reversibly receive and retainthe phone or mobile device while providing user access via apertures 350to the various control buttons (e.g., power, volume etc.), ports (e.g.,headphone jacks, data and charging ports, etc.). As illustrated cameraaperture 351 is also provided in the case that extends through the shell300 to allow functionality of the camera 931.

The shell component 300 has an inner side or surface 310 configured toface the phone 900 and receive and retain the phone 900, and a generallyopposing outer side or surface 320 that generally faces away from thephone 900.

The wall portion of the shell component 300 may include an attachmentjoint or slot 330 on the outer surface that mechanically and/oradhesively attaches the hinged panel 400 to the back cover 300.

In the present embodiment, the shell component 300 is made of rigidPlextonium™ polycarbonate. It should be understood, however, that anysuitable material that is capable of being configured to receive andretain the mobile device 900 (preferably reversibly) may be employedincluding other plastics and/or fiber reinforced plastics (e.g., carbon,Kevlar, nylon, etc.), aluminum, wood, synthetic and/or natural leathersand fabrics with and without reinforcement or any combination thereof.

The front cover 200 is configured to generally correspond in shape withthe outer surface of the screen or display 910, 920 of the mobile device900 and in the particular illustrated embodiment has a generally flat orplanar main region 260 and a generally curved side region 270 thatextends generally traverse to the main region 260. When the case 100 isin the closed position as shown in FIGS. 1A-2F, the case 200 providesprotection to not only the back, sides and main region of the screen910, but also covers and protects the side portion of the display 920that wraps around and extends down the right side of the device 900.

Generally, the main region 260 is made of an opaque material while theside region 270 of the cover is made of a transparent material. In theillustrated embodiment, the front cover 200 may be made of durable fadedand transparent Plextonium™ polycarbonate, with the main region 260 ofthe front cover 200 may be coated with an opaque material while the sideregion 270 is left transparent. The coating in the transition regionbetween the opaque main region 260 and the transparent side region 270may be abrupt or more gradual so the transition from the opaque to themore transparent region is visually gentler and less apparent. Whilepolycarbonate has been found to be well suited, it should be understoodthat any suitable material may be employed.

It is also contemplated that the side region 270 of the cover 200 may beconfigured to allow for user interaction through the side region 270 ofthe cover directly with the underlying screen region 920 of mobiledevice 900 when the front cover 200 is in the fully closed position.Thus, the side region 270 of the front cover 200 may be made of thinsheet of rigid transparent plastic that is dimensioned to allow forsufficient capacitive interaction with the underlying touch screendisplay. For example, an injected molded polycarbonate with a thicknessof less than 0.5 mm, with a preferred range of between 0.3 mm and 0.5mm, in the side region 270 is capable of being suitable for suchconstructions. The thickness of the cover 200 may vary with, forexample, the cover 200 may be thicker in the opaque region 260 andformed thinner in the side region 270 to facilitate user interactionwith the underlying screen region.

It is also contemplated that the front cover 200 may include one or morelatches on one or more sides, for example along the perimeter of theside region 270, that allow the front cover to snap or latch to the backcover or shell component 300 so as to bias the side region 270 intocontact with the underlying screen region 920 to thereby facilitatecapacitive and/or mechanical pressure communication by the user with theunderlying screen directly through cover region 270. The regions 260 and270 of the cover may be formed by the same or different materials and asa unitary construction (e.g., molded) or as separate pieces that areattached to one another.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the protective case of FIG. 1A, whereinthe front cover 200 of the protective case 100 is partially open tofurther illustrate the configuration and construction of the constituentfront and rear cover components 200 and 300 and their operation and thesmart phone 900 housed therein.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the protective case of FIG. 1A, whereinthe protective case 100 is in an operating/viewing position. When thecase 200 is in the illustrated operating/viewing position, the hingedpanel 400 supports the back of the shell component 300 to maintain thedevice 900 and shell 300 on edge in an angled use position. Thelongitudinal side 360 of the shell 300 rests on the inner surface 210 ofthe cover 200. The cover 200 also may include a slotted compartment 212that is concealed underneath the opaque region 260 that allows for thestorage of identification, credit cards, receipts and the like. Magnetsand/or mechanical ridges or slots may be included on the inside panelsurface 210 of the cover 200 to assist in maintaining the desiredoperating position.

The hinged panel 400 may be made of any suitable material that allowsfor desired relative rotation, described herein, of the front and backcovers to provide access to the mobile device. In the illustratedembodiment, the hinged panel 400 is a living flexible hinge made ofsynthetic or vegan leather material (with or without a stiffeningsubstrate) that is mechanically and/or adhesively attached to the frontcover 200 and shell 300. Conventional rigid hinges such as those used tomount doors or other components to one another may also be used and maybe attached to the side of the shell 300.

In operation, when the phone is received in the protective case 100 andthe cover 200 is completely closed, a proximity sensor on the front faceof the phone 900 may detect the presence of the opaque region of thefront cover 200 and turn the display off in the main region to conservepower, yet the side region 920 of the touchscreen that is covered by thetransparent region 270 of the cover 200 is capable of staying active andlit, thereby keeping the user informed of notifications and the like.The user may interact through the side region 270 of the cover directlywith the underlying screen region 920 of mobile device 900 when thefront cover 200 is in the fully closed position. Portions of the frontcover including in the transparent and/or non-transparent regions mayinclude apertures that facilitate user interface with the displayscreen.

Although various aspects are herein disclosed in the context of certainpreferred embodiments, implementations, and examples, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that the present inventionextends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to otheralternative embodiments and/or uses of the inventive aspects and obviousmodifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number ofvariations of the aspects have been noted, other modifications, whichare within their scope, will be readily apparent to those of skill inthe art based upon this disclosure. It should be also understood thatthe scope this disclosure includes the various combinations orsub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodimentsdisclosed herein, such that the various features, modes ofimplementation and operation, and aspects of the disclosed subjectmatter may be combined with or substituted for one another. Thus, it isintended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed shouldnot be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments orimplementations described above, but should be determined only by a fairreading of the claims.

Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that any claim require more features than areexpressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than allfeatures of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claimsfollowing the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporatedinto this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as aseparate embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective case configured to removably receiveand retain a mobile device including a touchscreen display with aprimary touchscreen portion and a secondary touchscreen region, saidprotective case comprising: a shell portion configured to removablyreceive and retain the mobile device, the shell portion comprising afirst sidewall configured to protect an edge of the mobile devicenearest the secondary touchscreen region and a second sidewall oppositethe first sidewall, the first sidewall being shorter than the secondsidewall; a front cover molded of a transparent material as a unitarycomponent including a primary cover portion configured to cover theprimary touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display and a secondarycover region configured to cover the secondary touchscreen region of thetouchscreen display, the secondary cover region being thinner than theprimary cover portion; wherein the primary cover portion is coated withan opaque material so that the secondary cover region is relatively moretransparent than the primary cover portion; and wherein the secondarycover region is configured and constructed to allow for user interactionwith the underlying secondary touchscreen region through the secondarycover region of the touchscreen display.
 2. The protective case of claim1, wherein the edge region is configured to allow for sufficientcapacitive interaction with the underlying side curved region of thetouchscreen display.
 3. The protective case of claim 2, wherein thefront cover is attached to the shell portion closer to the secondsidewall than to the first sidewall.
 4. The protective case of claim 3,further comprising at least one latch positioned along the secondarycover region and configured to secure the front cover to the back cover.5. A protective case configured to removably receive and retain a mobiledevice including a touchscreen display with a primary touchscreenportion and a secondary touchscreen region, said protective casecomprising: a shell portion configured to removably receive and retainthe mobile device; a front cover molded of a transparent material as aunitary component including a primary cover portion configured to coverthe primary touchscreen portion of the touchscreen display and asecondary cover region configured to cover the secondary touchscreenregion of the touchscreen display, the secondary cover region beingthinner than the primary cover portion; wherein the primary coverportion and the secondary cover region are molded of a transparentmaterial; wherein the primary cover portion is coated with an opaquematerial so that the secondary cover region is relatively moretransparent than the primary cover portion.
 6. The protective case ofclaim 5, wherein the secondary cover region is configured andconstructed to allow for user interaction with the underlying secondarytouchscreen region through the secondary cover region of the touchscreendisplay
 7. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the edge region isthinner than the flat region.
 8. The protective case of claim 6, whereinthe edge region is configured to allow for sufficient capacitiveinteraction with the underlying side curved region of the touchscreendisplay.
 9. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the secondarytouchscreen region is curved and the secondary cover region comprises acurved region configured to match the curve of the secondary touchscreenregion and to cover the secondary touchscreen region an.
 10. Theprotective case of claim 9, wherein the opacity of the front covertransitions gradually between the relatively more opaque primary coverportion and the relatively more transparent secondary cover region. 11.The protective case of claim 9, wherein the shell portion includes afirst sidewall configured to protect an edge of the mobile devicenearest the secondary touchscreen region and a second sidewall oppositethe first sidewall, the first sidewall being shorter than the secondsidewall.
 12. The protective case of claim 11, wherein the firstsidewall does not obstruct the secondary touchscreen region of thetouchscreen display.
 13. The protective case of claim 11, wherein thesecondary cover region of the front cover curves toward and contact thefirst sidewall.
 14. The protective case of claim 13, wherein the frontcover is attached to the shell portion closer to the second sidewallthan to the first sidewall.
 15. The protective case of claim 14, furthercomprising at least one latch positioned along the secondary coverregion and configured to secure the front cover to the back cover. 16.The protective case of claim 14, further comprising a connecting panelconnecting the shell portion to the front cover, the panel beinghingedly connected to the shell portion and hingedly connected to theprimary cover portion of the front panel opposite the secondary coverregion.
 17. The protective case of claim 16, wherein the connectingpanel is configured to support the shell in an angled viewing position.18. The protective case of claim 6, wherein the shell portion includes afirst sidewall configured to protect an edge of the mobile devicenearest the secondary touchscreen region and a second sidewall oppositethe first sidewall, the first sidewall being shorter than the secondsidewall.
 19. The protective case of claim 18, wherein the secondarycover region of the front cover curves toward and contact the firstsidewall.
 20. The protective case of claim 19, further comprising aconnecting panel connecting the shell portion to the front cover, thepanel being hingedly connected to the shell portion and hingedlyconnected to the primary cover portion of the front panel opposite thesecondary cover region.